Disclosed herein is a method comprising transporting a conduit and a template through a guide tube; the template being disposed on an outer surface of the conduit between the conduit and the guide tube; and transferring a texture from the template to the conduit as the conduit and the template are transported through the guide tube. Disclosed herein too is an apparatus comprising a guide tube; the guide tube being operative to facilitate a transfer of a pattern from a template to a conduit; a first feed spool and a first take-up spool for feeding the conduit through the guide tube and for taking up the conduit after it has travelled through the guide tube respectively; and a second feed spool and a second take-up spool for feeding the template through the guide tube and for taking up the template after it has travelled through the guide tube respectively.

A 3D thermoplastic pultrusion system and method based upon a 3D variable die system and including one or more sets of 3D thermoplastic forming machines to continuously produce thermoplastic composite pultrusions with at least one of varying cross-section geometry and constant surface contours, varying cross-section geometry and varying surface contours, and constant cross-section geometry and varying surface contours. The 3D thermoplastic pultrusion system and method including at least one of one or more pairs of shapeable and flexible dual-temperature bands and a rotating assembly that rotates the one or more sets of 3D thermoplastic forming machines to impart a twist to the thermoplastic composite.

A disposable absorbent having a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, is described herein. The topsheet has first and second webs where the second web forms a body-contacting surface of the disposable absorbent article and the first web is disposed between the second web and the absorbent core. The second web is hydrophobic compared to the first web. And, the second web is a nonwoven with a plurality of fibers having a diameter less than about 10 microns.

Methods and systems are provided for fabricating polymer-based imprint lithography templates having thin metallic or oxide coated patterning surfaces. Such templates show enhanced fluid spreading and filling (even in absence of purging gases), good release properties, and longevity of use. Methods and systems for fabricating oxide coated versions, in particular, can be performed under atmospheric pressure conditions, allowing for lower cost processing and enhanced throughput.

Polyvinyl acetal films with less blocking tendency and which allow for escape of gas during laminating to form laminated composities are prepared by a process for embossing a film comprising plasticized polyvinyl acetal with a roughness Rz on at least one surfaces of 20 to 100 μm by the steps of a. extruding of plasticised polyvinyl acetal to a film with a stochastic roughness of the surfaces of Rz=1 to 70 μm, b. embossing at least one surface of the film obtained in step a) with channels having a depth of 5-50 μm, a width of 10-200 μm and a pitch of 50-2500 μm, wherein c. the surface roughness of the elevations between the channels is at most 20% lower as obtained in step a).

A nanostructure die with a concavely curved nanostructured die surface for seamless embossing of at least one peripheral ring of a jacket surface of an embossing roll in a step-and-repeat process and an embossing roll for continuous embossing of nanostructures with an embossing layer, which has been applied on a body of revolution, with a jacket surface with at least one peripheral ring which is made seamless at least in the peripheral direction and which is embossed in the step-and-repeat process. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method and a device for producing such an embossing roll for continuous embossing of nanostructures as well as a method for producing such a nanostructure die and a method for producing an embossing substrate.

A decking plank includes a non-distressed surface with a first surface texture defining a plurality of wood grain depressions. The plank also includes a distressed surface with a second surface texture defining a plurality of wood grain depressions and a plurality of cross-grain depressions. An outdoor deck may be formed with the dual-sided deck planks. The deck may be constructed in one configuration where each of the dual-sided deck planks has the distressed surface facing upward and exposed. The deck may be constructed in a second configuration where the same planks are assembled to have the non-distressed surface facing upward and exposed.

A method of forming a corrugated fluoropolymer tube is disclosed. The method comprises the step of providing a tube comprising extruded fluoropolymer without corrugations or convolutions disposed on a mandrel. The mandrel has a first cylindrical portion and a flaring portion that extends to a second cylindrical portion, the second portion having an outer diameter which is larger than an outer diameter of the first portion. The method also includes the step of moving the tube on a longitudinal axis along the mandrel thereby forcing an outer surface of the tube into flights disposed at a pitch angle on a plurality of thread rollers which are rotating, the plurality of thread rollers adjacent to and circumferentially distributed around the flaring portion and/or second cylindrical portion of the mandrel, wherein external force is exerted on the outer surface of the tube to form corrugations having adjacent peaks and roots.

A method for producing a partially contoured, fiber-reinforced plastic profile includes providing a plurality of first reinforcing fibers. The first reinforcing fibers are combined to produce a uni-, bi-, or tridirectional fiber bundle. The fiber bundle is impregnated with a first plastic matrix. The impregnated fiber bundle is supplied to a unit for at least partial shaping or for at least partial shaping and at least partial curing of the first plastic matrix to produce a fiber-reinforced plastic base element. Second reinforcing fibers are provided for at least partial application to the fiber-reinforced plastic base element. The fiber-reinforced plastic base element is provided with the second reinforcing fibers for at least partial fiber-reinforced profiling and/or shaping to produce an at least partially contoured, fiber-reinforced plastic strand and the at least partially contoured, fiber-reinforced plastic strand is cut to produce an at least partially contoured, fiber-reinforced plastic profile.

The invention concerns a super hydrophobic surface for handling a liquid and/or able to be contacted by a liquid, said surface comprising at least one hydrophobic liquid contact surface portion, wherein said hydrophobic liquid contact surface portion presents a micro- and nano-meter hierarchical patterned structure, the structure comprising: —homogeneously distributed micrometre-sized pillars (1), and—homogeneously distributed nanometre-sized pillars (2), preferably said pillars (2) having a dimension below 1 micrometer, at the upper surface of the micrometre-sized pillars, and—nanometre-sized protrusions (3) at the upper surface of the nanometre-sized pillars, the protrusions being positioned in a non-periodic, irregular pattern. The invention also relates to the use of such surfaces with micro- and nano-meter hierarchical patterned structure, for example in handling hot liquids, and a corresponding manufacturing process, e.g. using an injection moulding process for producing the component in polymer.